


Our Girls

by missgaga7



Series: It Was Always You [3]
Category: Bon Appétit Test Kitchen (Web Series)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-15
Updated: 2020-04-15
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:41:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23660023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missgaga7/pseuds/missgaga7
Summary: The third of a series of stories following Claire Saffitz, Brad Leone and their three daughters... Lulu, Margo, and Evie.*The stories will not necessarily be in chronological order.
Relationships: Brad Leone & Claire Saffitz, Brad Leone/Claire Saffitz, Claire Saffitz & Sauci Saffitz
Series: It Was Always You [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1699045
Comments: 1
Kudos: 13





	Our Girls

Every night for the last two years, our girls have prayed for a baby sister. Before Claire and I would bring them to their rooms for the night, we would say our prayers, and then read a story all together until we could see their little bodies start to fall into the depths of sleep.

Barefoot and wrapped in their soft, matching pajamas, they would kneel on the floor with their eyes tightly shut and palms clasped together. 

We would sit by their sides, with our own hands brought together in prayer, both opening our eyes for a moment to peak because it was too difficult not to look at the sweet sight in front of us.  


Every night, with Lulu taking the lead and Margo following closely behind, they would recite the same prayer.

First, they would pray for Mommy and Daddy, then for each other, their Aunties and Uncles, and their grandparents, and without fail, when they were about to finish, both girls would both take a deep breath and whisper, "and please, please, please give us a baby sister."

A night would not go by that their words would not pull at my heart.

In all honesty, neither of us thought another baby was in the cards for our family. Margo was almost 4, and Lulu was already 6. Pregnancy and childbirth had not been easy on Claire, physically or mentally. I had watched her in agony at times, bearing the pain for the children she so desperately longed for.

We were both also at the height of our careers, balancing our time between the Test Kitchen, and the restaurant we had opened together in Midtown. We were in such a place that we were able to balance both of our passions in work and the family we had created together, a balance we had longed for.

Despite our said satisfaction, the innocent prayers of our daughters rang loudly in my head every night.

We loved our little family, and as all the cards were reading, the obvious answer would be that we were done.

Sometimes though, the stars don't always align with what the cards are reading. Sometimes the stars are more powerful than any of us can ever understand.

"Babe? ...Babe!"

"Hmm?" I muttered with a yawn as Claire's voice jolted me out of my daydream.

I was lying on our bed in my sweatpants, with my chest bare, and one arm cradling my head as I ran my free hand over my unshaven face.

We had finished putting the girls to bed about an hour ago, and Claire had just come out of the shower.

"Brad, I'm late," Claire stated matter-of-factly with a sigh as she leaned against the doorway of our master bathroom in her white robe. Her hair was damp, and her arms crossed as we stared at one another for a moment silently.

"What do you mean?" I asked, knowing very well what it meant.

"My period - I'm two weeks late," she said, coming to sit on our bed with me as she muted a news commentator in the background.

"But you're on birth control," I said, as I turned towards her.

"Yes, but I haven't missed my period since I've been on the pill again, and... I don't know... maybe I missed a pill? I can't remember... everything has been so busy lately... and it... something just doesn't feel right," she mumbled.

"So you think you might be pregnant...?" I asked, as I watched her eyes well, and her face fall into her hands.

"Yes... maybe... I don't know.. yes," She whispered, and started to sniffle. "This wasn't supposed to happen. We have our family. We have our careers. We are happy. We were done. This isn't part of our plan." She said as she slowly sunk to the floor.

"Oh, baby," I whispered and crawled over to her, encompassing her in my arms as I rocked her back and forth. "Are you sure?"

She nodded slowly and I wiped her eyes and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Almost positive. My body has done this twice before. I know this feeling. I don't even know if my body can do this again, you know how hard the other pregnancies were on me. I don't know if I can take it."

"Let's not panic, ok? Maybe you're not, and if you are then... then we'll figure it out, okay? We're together in this.”

I brought her body close to mine again, feeling her heart practically beating out of her chest as I hushed her.

"I wish I could just make it alright, but we’ll figure out, we always do, don’t we?”

"I don't know, Brad. Maybe, I don't know, maybe this is what's best for me. What's best for us, what best for the girls."

"What's best?"

"This baby," Claire mumbled as she began to sob. "My heart has been telling me that something is missing and maybe that something is this. Maybe we are meant to have one more."

I ran my hand through her hair, pushing it behind her ear. I was always so in awe of this woman.

"I've been feeling that way too, but everything has just been going so well, I didn't want to address it," I agreed. "I didn't want to put any pressure on you."

"Why are you so sweet," she laughed as she wiped the tears away from her face.

"We don't even know if you're pregnant yet," I laughed, "Do you still have tests from when we were trying with Margo?"

"Yeah, there should be one in the second bathroom drawer on my side," Claire said as she wiped her eyes again with a sniff and began to compose herself.

I stood, entering our bathroom and pulling out several drawers full of makeup and blow dryers, before I found the correct one.

"Do these things expire?" I ask, looking over the box, "good for another year." I said pulling the final test out box and reading the instructions on the back. "One line means not pregnant, two lines means pregnant."

"I think we know the drill by now, Leone," Claire snickered with a soft laugh as she pulled over her pajama t-shirt and pants, before she took the test in her hand.

I followed her into our bathroom as we waited for the results on our marble bathroom floor.

"If this is real, then this is beyond us," Claire sighed.

"If anything, it'll mean that this really was out of our hands, and it was meant to happen," I added. "Lu and Margo will be so happy... they have been asking for this for who knows how long. And here we were thinking it would never happen," I chuckled as I held Claire's hand in mine. "They pray for a baby sister every night, but hey, they might get a brother, you never know."

"Get real, Brad, you know you only make girls!" Her laugh bellowed in our empty bathroom, and it warmed my heart for a moment. I rolled my eyes and shook my head.

"Should we check?" I asked hesitantly.

She nodded, closing her eyes for a moment to take a breath before she picked the up test.

"One line. Negative," her voice cracked, as she bit her lip. "Ugh, what am I doing?" She paused in reference to her emotion. "This is good, right? We didn't want another one... It wasn't right because of everything with work and..." She began to cry and I pulled her against my chest, and I felt my own heart sink in disappointment. Something that had been so out of the question, had quickly become so real, and even if it was just for a moment, it had felt so good, and so right. "Gosh, why am I so upset over this... I just could have sworn..."  


"Let me see that," I say as I take the test from her. I scan it for a moment, and then look back up at her.

"Baby, this has two lines."

"What? No! A minute ago it didn't," she says as I move the test for both of us to see. "I swear, there was only one line!"

"You don't have your contacts in, do you?" I laughed.

"Oh my god, I'm so stupid," she laughed, covering her eyes with her face.

"Claire, you're pregnant," I say, practically in disbelief myself.

"I'm pregnant? I'm pregnant... oh my gosh, I'm really pregnant? Brad, we're gonna have another baby," she choked out as I pulled her back into my arms, and our lips met in between a tearful embrace.

"I can't believe it," I laughed, "I'm so happy, Claire."

"I guess we didn't realize how much we wanted this... and I guess the girls' prayers really have worked,” she sighed, as we pressed our lips together.

\------  
The smell of fresh pizza, and the melodies of Frank Sinatra filled our kitchen on a cold Wednesday night in January.

"Molly!" Lulu called to her Test Kitchen Auntie across the kitchen, "I need help," she whined, blowing the hair out of her face as she leaned as the kitchen counter. "I'm too little," she moaned with a huff, as she handed Molly the rolling pin she was using to roll out her pizza dough.

"Too little? Nah, that's nonsense," she said, as she came up behind her. "We'll do it together. But you have to do most of the heavy lifting, okay?"

She just rolled her eyes at her with her mischievous giggle.

We had Molly, her husband, Delaney, Carla, and their two sons over for a Saturday night pizza dinner at our town house on the Upper East Side.

"Claire, do you have any more flour in the pantry?” Carla called, as she checked on the first pizza in the oven.

"Yeah, I'll go grab it now," Claire called back, coming down the stairs from the bathroom before venturing into the pantry.

The girls were not the only ones who had been pushing us to have another child. Undoubtedly, 'one more baby' had become our friends’ favorite topic of discussion.

"Oh, but one more wouldn't kill you!" I could hear Molly’s voice ringing through my head. If only I could count the number of times I had heard that phrase.

We knew it all came from love, but the subtle pressure had become a lot for both of us to take, especially Claire. 

It was all a reflection of how much our friends loved our kids, and sometimes, they thought they knew what was best for us, better than we did.

I guess sometimes they were right.

After too many long-winded discussions, they seemed to have gotten the point that we were done, so they would be in for a total shock when they found out that their nagging had not been in vain.

Lulu and Margo didn't even know yet. We had been waiting to tell the girls in a special way, but we still had not quite figured out exactly how we wanted to break the news.

"Are you okay?" I said lowly, as I came up behind my wife in the pantry. I wrapped my arms around her waist and pressed kisses down her neck, as she let out a soft giggle before she turned to face me and our lips met.

Claire sighed, "I'm okay, a little nauseous but I haven't thrown up today, so that's an improvement at least. We need to tell them soon," she added.

"I know, we can't keep her a secret for much longer," I chuckled as I kneeled down for a moment, and pressed a kiss to her barely noticeable bump. "Right, sweet girl? Everyone's been asking for you for so long," I whispered to her belly as I looked up at my wife as she ran her fingers through my hair.

After reaching the end of Claire's first trimester, we had received a phone call just last week following our appointment that our littlest one was indeed a girl. Though Claire was only 14 weeks, through a chromosomal test, we were able to find out the sex.

After the initial shock and fear wore off that I was going to be a father or three little girls, specifically three teenage daughters in a little over 10 years, I just could not seem to shake this undeniable feeling of love and protectiveness, I already felt for this baby girl.

I truly did not feel the disappointment some might expect from the fact that I was not going to have a son.

Those were my girls. My baby girls. What an incredible blessing I had been granted to be their father. The unending love I felt for what would be those three little girls would truly be my most important motivator, and the greatest gift I had ever been given.

So much of it thanks to the remarkable woman who was my wife.

"I don't think we will have a choice whether we keep it a secret much longer," Claire laughed, trying to keep her voice down. "I don't know what this little girl is thinking, but I know what I'm thinking, and my belly is going to pop one of these days and there will be no going back." She was hiding her small, but now slightly visible and growing bump under a chunky cream sweater. "I'm shocked none of them have figured it out yet."

Except for our parents, we hadn't told anyone about the baby, even the girls, for obvious reasons. Much like me, they had a hard time keeping their mouths shut.

"Shocking you and me both. Usually Carla will just look at you and she just knows," I chuckled.

"The fact that we've made it 14 weeks without her figuring it out, is nothing short of a miracle," she agreed.

"We'll tell them soon, maybe in the next week?" I suggested as she nodded. "And let me take that," I added, grabbing the bag of flour that Carla has asked for.

"Oh there you two are, I was wondering where you had disappeared," Carla said as I placed the bag of flour on the counter.

"How are we doing in here?" I asked as I strolled around the counter to where the girls were finishing making their pizzas. I ran my hand down Lulu's back, leaning down to press a kiss to the top of her head. She looped her arms up around my neck and I nuzzled the scruff of my beard against her cheek as she let out a loud giggle.

"Oh my God, Delaney! Margo!" Claire laughed, covering her face as she looked over at her daughter and Delaney, who were covered in flour and tomato sauce.

"Don't question genius, Claire," he retorted, "Don't question it."

"As long as you're cleaning up, I'm not questioning anything."

"No, no, I'm telling you, Claire, Lulu over here, is going to be a culinary genius. Did you see how she matches the flavors of the meat to her pizza? That is prodigy-level. Prodigy," Molly added.

"Didn't I just hear her whining about how she couldn't roll her dough out anymore?" Claire chuckled.

"Details, details! All she really needs is what's going on in here," Molly said, tapping our oldest girl’s head.

“Don’t deny that your children have it in their blood, right Margo-girl?”

She looked up at him, smearing a speck of tomato sauce on his nose as she let out a loud giggle. "Whatever you say, Uncle Andy!”

“Margo!” I laughed, as she snorted.

She just rolled her eyes at me, “whatever, Daddy.”

"Oh, you're trouble, Sassy. You're in for it," I growled, as I picked Margo up, flipped her upside down and tickled her, and she let out a bellowing laugh, that filled the room.

"Alright, alright, now settle down, put the poor girl down, we haven't even put the rest of the pizzas in!" Claire said motioning to me, as Molly poured herself a glass of wine.

My ears perked up at the sound of the bottle hitting the glass. What was Molly doing drinking? She and a few others were trying a 3-month dry period of no drinking, so we hadn't had any alcohol at our normal dinners, so not to tempt her. They had started the challenge the day after Thanksgiving, and were supposed to see it through until the end of February.

"Molly, what happened to your three-month challenge?" I asked, leaning against our kitchen island.

"Ah, well, we gave up," she laughed. "We couldn't help it, we did, what? A month? A month and a half? It was time. Claire, you want a glass?"

"What'd you say, Mol? Claire asked, as she turned from speaking with Lulu.

"I said, do you want a glass of wine?"

Claire froze.

"Oh.. no, I'm okay, thanks," she muttered, swallowing slowly. She looked at me with wide eyes, I could feel her anxiety across the room.

"What?" Molly asked, looking up. "You never turn down a glass. Is something wrong?"

"No, no," Claire stuttered. "I just, ugh.. I just don't feel like one. That's it."

"That's it?"

"That's it," Claire nodded with a slight shrug.

"Okay, if you say so," Molly muttered.

For a moment, Claire's shoulders dropped with a slight relief.

"You sure everything is alright?" Molly asked again, her eyes narrowing.

"Yes, Molly. Promise. Everything is great. Really,” she said, as she nodded.

"Alright, alright, it's just not like you to..."

"I'm pregnant," Claire said, cutting her off.

"You're what?" Molly whispered as the room went silent, the sound of Sinatra still ringing quietly in the background.

"I'm pregnant," she stated again, as a smile fell across her face.

I leaned against the counter with this stupid smirk I couldn't seem to wipe off my face.

"Are you serious?!" She cried loudly, one hand steadying herself on the counter, the other covering her mouth.

She looked at Claire, then back at me, as I gave another nod in confirmation.

"Oh my God!" She shrieked, running around the kitchen to meet her friend. She threw her arms around her, and pressing a hand to Claire's belly.

“What!” Delaney said, his jaw quite literally on the floor.

"Is Mommy going to have a baby?" Lulu whispered, looking up at her mother as her lips quivered.

"Momma's got a baby in her belly," she nodded. I could hear her voice becoming emotional as she kneeled down to our oldest daughter's level. "Your prayers have finally been answered, sweetheart, and Momma is finally going to have your baby sister."

"Really?" Lulu squeaked out.

"Mhm," she whispered back, pushing Lulu's hair behind her ear.

Lulu practically threw herself into her mother's arms as they both started to cry the most pure tears of joy.

My throat closed as I watched the two embrace.

Claire held a daughter out to look at her as she gawked in disbelief. "Really, really?" Our oldest choked out.

"Really, really," Claire affirmed as she wiped her own tears away. "Look at this, you're making Momma cry," she laughed.

"A real baby sister?!" Margo asked, excitedly as she ran up to her sister and mother.

"Yep, you, my Margo-girl, are going to be a big-sister!"

Margo’s eyes widened with excitement.

"Is it actually a girl?" Carla asked as he leaned on the countertop.

"We just found out last week through this new chromosomal test they have. If we didn't know already, Leone only makes girls," Claire teased.

The two girls squealed in excitement as Claire held them in each arm.

"And she's really in your belly?!" Margo asked as she caressed her mother's hair.

"Mhmm, look," Claire said, as she pulled up her sweater, revealing her tiny, protruding bump. "She's really in here! But she's still only little."

The girls squealed in excitement, as Claire came to hug me.

I watched my little family, and I could not help but feel overwhelmed with love, and gratitude.

Margo ran my way, as she jumped into my arms. "I really get a baby sister, Daddy!" She asked as she looped her arms around my neck.

"You really do, and she'll be here in June," I grinned as I pulled her little body close and scratched my stubble against her cheek. She let out a loud, bellowing giggle that sounded just like her Mother's, as she stretched to get away from my tickling.

"Thank you, Daddy," she said softly.

"Can you believe it, Margo? You're gonna be a big sister!"

"Finaaaally!" She said dramatically, and I could not help but laugh.

I put Margo down as Carla went over to inspect Claire’s belly.

“And Carla, how are you so calm right now?!” Molly said, as she put her hands up.

"Congratulations," Carla whispered, as she embraced her friend.

"I don't know how I missed this!” Molly moaned.

"I don't know how you missed it either," Carla chuckled.

"You knew?!" I said as my jaw dropped.

She shrugged, "I've known for weeks, I was just waiting for you two to break and say something."

"How?!" Claire asked in disbelief.

“You know I can smell it on you, something with you always changes, and I can’t help that I have instincts,” she laughed. “I’ve been waiting for weeks!”

"Carla!" Claire said as her mouth dropped.

"I can't believe you knew and didn't tell me!" Molly quipped.

"Eh, I knew they would tell us eventually," she shrugged.

"We can't get anything past you, can we?" I laughed. "This is really it though, no more after this."

"I don't care!" Molly grinned, "I'm just so happy we get one more!"

"Me too," Claire sighed as the girls danced in circles around the kitchen. "Me too."

—

These early Summer months always resulted in some of my favorite days of the year. The weather was still not unbearably hot in the city, the girls were out of school, and we had the whole summer ahead of us just to be together.

This day in June, however, was undoubtedly my new favorite.

Late last night, Claire had felt the same familiar discomfort she had felt twice before. We lay in bed and I held her for several hours before it all became too unbearable.  
When we realized that our girl was coming sooner than we thought, Claire’s parents hurried down in a rush, and caught the last train from Boston.

They arrived just in time before midnight.  
Before we left, we snuck into Lulu and Margo's bedrooms and pressed one last kiss to their warm foreheads as they slept.

First, we found Lulu curled on her side with her stuffed bear close to her chest, while in the next room over, we found Margo completely sprawled over the bed, each one of her extremities stretched in a different direction. She barely gripped her stuffed rabbit in her hands as her arm dangled down by the side of her bed.

With Claire cradling her lower belly, I helped her into the passenger seat, and we made our way to Lennox Hill Hospital.

And at 5:25 this morning, a week before her set due date, our youngest daughter came into the world faster than either of us could have expected.

Our big girls had both taken their sweet time to join us, but it felt like no sooner we were settled into our hospital room, that Claire closed her eyes and mumbled to me that she could not wait any longer.

Born weighing in at just 6 pounds, 5 ounces, 18 inches long, she was the most precious little thing I had ever laid my eyes on. Her sisters had been bigger, but her size clearly made no difference in her lung capacity.

When she came into the world, she had taken a moment, and I think both our hearts stopped while we waited. When she started to cry, I do not think there had ever been a more beautiful sound. The relief and joy was so overwhelming that we both began to cry when we finally heard her.

Her piercing cries were similar to those of her two big sisters who had come before her in the very same hospital, and even at a few hours old she was already vying for attention. She had this angelic innocence, and the moment I saw her wailing against my wife's chest I understood there was no mistake last fall.

"Oh my God!" I choked, "you did it, Babe! Claire, you did it! You had a baby!"

"Oh, hi my love. Hi. Hi. Hi sweetheart," Claire whispered between tears as he put her hand on the infant's back. She looked up at me, her eyes wide in disbelief at what had just transpired. I pressed a kiss to her lips as she cradled our daughter's head against her chest. "Oh, my sweet girl. We've been waiting for you for so long."

Every part of this little girl screamed Claire, literally and figuratively. Lu and Margo had both taken a lot from me, but it was undeniable to say that this little one was not her mother's daughter.  
When she was handed to me, it felt like my heart swelled out of my chest. I cradled her close, taking in her sweet scent as I closed my eyes. She was completely alert, her eyes taking me in as I lowered her to look at her more closely. She has these long eyelashes, and these beautiful green and brown eyes. I could fit her entire little body in two hands, she was so tiny, especially next to my tall frame. 

The two of us just watched one another as I hummed my favorite Stevie Wonder song that I always sang to the girls.

This little girl, who almost never was, had suddenly taken up so much of my heart. Our girl.

After I brought Claire breakfast, I pulled up my chair close to the bed and pressed a kiss to my wife's forehead as she nursed our baby. I was still in awe of my wife's strength.

I ran my fingers over our baby's dark brown, whispy hair. Her tiny body was curled against her mother's, and her soft breaths made my heart want to burst. It was like she had been sent directly from heaven into our arms.

We were exhausted, but so incredibly grateful.

"Can you believe we made this tiny angel?" I whispered as I ran my hand over the baby's tiny bare foot, as she squirmed slightly at my touch.

She shook her head, "It's like we're living in some kind of alternate reality. I can't believe she's really ours. We have three girls, Brad.”

“Ooof,” I laughed, as I ran my hand through my hair, and leaned back slightly. “I’m in for it, aren’t I?”

She giggled with a nod, “A little bit, but you’ll be fine. You’re already the best girl Daddy.”

“That doesn’t mean it will be easy,” I chuckled.

You want to go get the girls and my parents?" Claire asked as she leaned her head back with a smile.

"Are you sure you're ready for the chaos?" I laughed softly.

"I don't think we can make them wait anymore," she laughed as she used her thumb to caress our daughter's tiny hand. "What time did my Mom say she was coming?"

“Your Mom told me on the phone this morning after the girls woke up, the two of them have just been sitting in the kitchen, completely dressed and ready to go," I laughed.

We had prepared the girls in advance as to what was going to happen when their baby sister was going to be born, so they knew exactly what it meant if they woke up to Momma and Daddy missing, and their Grandparents waking them up.

"Go get them," Claire encouraged, "they have wanted this for too long to have to have to wait any longer."

"Alright, I'll go. Are you good though? Do you need anything? Can I get you anything?"

She shook her head no, "We're great, baby. Thank you. I love you," she smiled as I pressed a kiss to her lips and let it linger for a moment as we just stopped to look at one another.

"You have no idea how much I love you... and you too, little one," I whispered, and bent down to kiss our daughter’s head. "I'll be back soon."

I grabbed my keys from the counter, and headed out the back door of the hospital. Although we had driven here last night, we only lived a few blocks from the hospital, so it was easier just to walk home. It was the most beautiful day, the sunshine was so brilliant and the sounds of the birds chirping made it seem like the world really was celebrating with us.

I turned right onto our street, walking up towards our home and unlocking the door. "Hello! Anyone home?" I yelled up from the entrance as I closed the door behind me.

"Daddy!" Lulu and Margo squealed. I could hear the familiar thudding of their little feet against our hardwood floors running down the stairs.

"There are my girls," I said as they practically jumped into my arms.

"Did Mommy have our baby? Can we meet her?!" The words came out faster than I had ever heard Lulu talk as I put them back on the ground and she and her sister both jumped up and down.  
"This morning when you were sleeping..." I paused as they still shook with excitement but listened, "Mama had her baby at the hospital. You have a new baby sister."

The screams of pure joy were deafening, and I could not help but laugh as our girls started to dance. They threw themselves back into my arms, as I kissed their cheeks, placing both of them on my hips as I carried them back up the stairs to the kitchen.

"Good news?" Jeff asked.

"Great news," I responded, as I went to hug Sauci then, Jeff, who was cleaning up the girls' breakfast.

"Thank you for everything," I sighed thankfully.

"Congratulations," Jeff said as we embraced. "They're dressed, fed, teeth are brushed, and beds have been made. Everything okay?"

"Yes, everything okay? How's Claire? How's the baby? Everything went fine?" Sauci asked me anxiously as she hugged me tightly.

"Everything is great. Claire is doing really well, recovering great. And the baby... she is perfect. So incredibly beautiful. She's got pipes just like her Momma," I chuckled. "And she's tiny. 6 pounds, 5 ounces."

"She's tiny!"

"When can we meet her Daddy? Please I wanna meet her Daddy," Margo pleaded as she hung on to my leg.

"Hmm... well, how about - now?"

Another round of shrieking.

"Ok, girls, girls, but I need you to calm down, okay? Mama worked really hard to get your sister here, and she is very tired, and I can't have you loud like this in the hospital, right?"

They both nodded vigorously.

"We'll be good, Daddy. Promise," Lulu said as she stuck out her pinky finger.

"That's what I like to hear," I chuckled and shook both their pinkies.

"That's a pinky promise, so you know we're sew-rious," Margo explained.

"Alright, are we ready?"

"We've been ready since 6:00am," Sauci laughed as we headed downstairs to put shoes on and head out the door.

With Margo holding my hand to my right, and Lulu holding both her Grandparent's hands following closely behind, the two girls skipped down the streets just like they did every morning when I brought them to school.

"What does she look like Daddy?" Margo asked as we waited at an intersection.

"Well, she's really little, but she looks a lot like you and Lu when Mama had you as a baby," I explained. “Now, Lu, Margo, remember what I said?"

"Yes, Daddy," they chorused. "Quiet!" Lulu nodded with a grin, as she brought her pointer finger to her lips.

Margo reached on her tiptoes to press the elevator button, as we rode up to floor 14. "Ready to meet your little sister?" I asked guiding Margo with a hand on her head as we walked down the fluorescently lit hospital hallway, as we reached the locked door of the maternity ward.

"Really ready, Daddy," Margo hummed back up at me in anticipation.

"You want to call and tell them you're here to see Mommy?" I motioned to Lulu the black phone hanging by the door, that called the front desk of the ward to allow visitors inside.  
Lulu nodded excitedly, as she reached up on her tiptoes to grab the phone. "Hi! I'm here to see my Mama, and my baby sister!" She squeaked. "Thank you!"

"Good job, Lu," I chuckled as she hung up the phone, and hopped up and down as the automatic doors opened. "Straight down the hallway, this way," I motioned.  
Lulu, little miss independent, skipped ahead of us, poking her nose into anything and everything she could find.

"Next door to your left, Baby," I called out as Lu stopped in her tracks, and stuck her to hands out to form an "L" with her fingers in order to find her left hand.

"This way!" she confirmed, pointing to her right.

"Other one, sweet pea," I chuckled, evidently we still needed to work on her lefts and rights.

Lulu placed her two hands on the door of room 439, the last room in the private section of the ward. She looked back at me for confirmation before peeking her head around the door, "Mommy!" she squealed in excitement. Margo released my hand quickly upon hearing her sister's excitement, and hurried to catch up as Jeff, Sauci, and I followed suit, and closed the door behind us.

The girls ran to their mother, who was sitting up with our youngest cradled against her chest.

"Hi, girlies," Claire grinned as they came running in.

Their eyes became wide, and their voices hushed as they approached their mother.

Lulu covered her mouth, very much like her mother often did. "She's really real," she whispered.

Claire nodded slowly with a soft grin, "Girls, this is your baby sister, Evagalina," Claire said, readjusting the blanket away from the sleeping infant's face so the girls could see her properly. "We'll call her Evie."

"Hi sissy!" Margo laughed as she reached toward Claire.

Fans, journalists, and friends alike have often asked me what has been greatest moment of my life has been so far. I have always struggled to come up with a concrete answer, or pinpoint exact moments in time.  


When Evie was born, it felt like everything had come together, and we were finally complete.

Lu and Margo's births had not been any less special or memorable or honestly excruciatingly painful to say the least. Through all three births of our daughters, I thought I was going to lose a hand sitting in that same blue hospital chair, but the moment I saw our two oldest daughters with our last baby girl, it felt like a world-wind had hit me.

Our world finally felt complete. A piece of us we had not even fully realized was missing, suddenly so striking. It all made sense now, and as if all the puzzle pieces were falling into place right in front of us.

Both our big girls stood up on their tiptoes, grasping the bars of the hospital bed to try to hoist themselves up for a better peak.

"Here ya go," I said, hoisting Margo, then Lulu up, and placing them either side on the bed next to Claire so they get a closer look.

"Hands -," Claire said, giving me a look.

"What do ya think? Should we keep her?" I asked, practically rubbing both our daughters down in purell.

"Are you kidding? Of course we are keeping her!" Lu retorted, horrified that I would ask such a question, "we have waited way too long to give her away! And she's our little sister, who else is gonna take care of her?"  


I laughed loudly at her attitude, and ran my hands through Lulu's hair, "I'm only joking, baby."

"I love her so much, Momma," Lulu whispered as she examined her new little doll.

"She's so little, Momma!" Margo squeaked loudly, and Lulu snapped her a glare, and brought a finger to her lips to shush her.

"You were that little not too long too, Big Girl," Claire smiled softly, pecking a kiss on our now middle daughter's forehead.

"Look at 'er little hands," Lulu whispered as she caressed Evie's hand then her cheek with her pointer finger, "Thank you, Momma."

Margo leaned down, pressing a kiss to her sister's forehead.

I turned, hearing Sauci, quietly crying behind me in Jeff’s arms. "I can't help it!" She sniffed, as I hugged her again, and she approached Claire.  
"You okay?" She whispered, as she ran her hand over Claire's head.

Claire nodded, looking up at her mother, "a little sore, but better than ever," she smiled. You want to hold her?"

Sauci nodded, wiping her tears away, as Claire sat up slightly to hand her mother the baby.

"Oh my God," Sauci whispered, as she took the infant in her arms, bringing her lips to Evie's forehead. "Hello, little angel," she mumbled as she rocked her back and forth, as the tears streamed down her face.

Jeff came up behind his wife, running his hand over the baby's cheek as he readjusted the little bowed hat on her head.

"She’s like a little Claire," he choked, trying not to cry. It was obvious, he could see so much of his own daughter in his new granddaughter.

The girls snuggled up against the mother, as she wrapped both arms around them, watching her parents with our new daughter.

Seeing my family together created a whole new sensation of overwhelming pride and emotion, an absolute complete state of bliss where nothing else mattered around us except for what we had in that room.

I leaned over, pressing a kiss to Claire's lips, as we all took in the scene.

"I can't believe this is all real," she whispered to me, as I nodded in agreement.

"How did I get this lucky?" I mumbled as our lips met again.

—---------  
Normally, Monday’s were my least favorite day of the week, but today was different. Claire and I were heading downtown to the Bon Appetit offices to introduce Evie to some very important people.

Today would mark my first day back from my two week paternity leave. Claire would still be out with the baby for several months on maternity leave, but we decided that this morning would be the perfect opportunity to make a surprise visit to the Test Kitchen.

The big girls were with their friends from school for a day of summer sports camp, so we only had the little one to take care of until tonight.

We had FaceTimed, and texted with all our friends, but because of recent health crises, we wanted to get through a few weeks before we exposed Claire or the baby to anyone.

“Ready?” I asked as I carried the baby’s car seat under my arm.

“Mhmm,” she nodded, as we exited the elevators, and walked towards the Test Kitchen.

“Guess who's back!” I said as I marched through the entryway. “And I brought special guests!”

“Claire!” Andy yelled, as everyone turned to look at us.

There was an audible gasp, then a few screams, as Claire let out a loud giggle as we made our way into the Test Kitchen.

“Oh... my... God,” Carla said, putting her hands over her mouth as she, Sohla, Andy, Chris, and Delaney hurried towards us.

“Everyone, this is Evangalina," Claire smiled softly, as I put the car seat on the counter, and she pulled her out, and into her arms. “But the girls have taken a liking to Evie for short, so I think that’s what she’s going to go by."

“Evie,” Sohla mouthed, holding her hands to her heart. “She is so beautiful.”

“Alright who’s first --”

“Is this even a question? Please hand over my niece,” Carla laughed, as Claire grinned, and willingly obliged, placing the baby in her ams. “Oh my goodness," she whispered.

The baby mewled softly as she was pulled from her mother, but she calmed quickly as I nestled her in Carla’s arms.

"Oh my, look at this precious girl. She is so beautiful, and look how little. She's like a little doll," she cooed as she ran her hand over her cheek and little hands.  


“She’s so tiny, ” Chris whispered, with a sniff.

“Chris, are you crying?” Claire asked.

“She just makes me a little verklempt, okay?”  
“Oh, Chris!” Claire grinned.

"She is tiny, much smaller than her sisters or cousins were when they were born. She was barely 6 pounds when she was born, and we just hit 7.5 pounds, so we're pretty happy with our progress?" Claire hummed as she fixed our daughter's little pink outfit, and readjusted her soft bow headband.

"And how are you feeling?" Delaney asked, looking up at Claire.

“You look amazing, I should add,” Carla said.

"She has a baby two weeks ago like it was nothing," Chris noted.

"Thank you," she smiled, "I'm good, the best I've felt after having a baby, actually. Maybe it's just because she was little and I'm more fit than I was before, but she’s been easy."

"And how was the birth?" Sohla asked, as she caressed Evie’s hair, as Carla rocked her back and forth.

"As alright as birth can be," Claire laughed, "Her sisters took their time, but she just wanted to come out and meet the world. She just couldn't wait any longer.”

"She's so alert too. Look at you watching me, pretty girl," Carla remarked, as she whispered to the baby. She had these beautiful big brown and green eyes, and these long eyelashes. Her cheeks were a soft pink, and she clutched Carla’s finger with her hand as she watched her attentively.

"Do you the girls love her?" Sohla asked.

“Are you kidding? She's better than any dolly they’ve ever had! They pick out what she wears, they play with her,” Claire said.

"That's when you know you are the youngest: when you are the equivalent of a toy," I laughed.

“She has no idea what she's in for the rest of her life," Claire joked as she looked down at our daughter lovingly, and stroked the infant's head.

"That's just what you get when you're the youngest," I laughed.

“Someone said baby?” Molly squawked as the Test Kitchen door flew open. “You’re here?! Oh my God! Look at her!” Molly blubbered, the tears immediately falling down her face when she saw Evie.

“Claire,” she whispered, as she went to hug her friend.

“Can I?” She asked looking up at Claire.

“Of course,” she nodded, as Carla placed Evie in Molly’s arms.

“Oh - my - God, she sniffed as she cradled her. “How do you guys keep making perfect children?”

“That’s mostly Claire’s work,” I chuckled. 

“She can make a perfect Kitkat, Poptart, and baby. What can she not do!” Sohla laughed.

“You’re going to have so much fun with Auntie Molly. I’m the most fun of all the Aunties and Uncles,” Molly grinned as she rocked her back and forth.

“Hey! You definitely have some competition!” Andy interjected.

“She’s two weeks old, Andy, it’s not like you’re taking her out clubbing anytime soon,” Delaney chuckled.

“No bad influences allowed!” I insisted, as I nudged Andy with a chuckle.

Evie let out a soft whimper, as a yawn, as she looked around at the group staring down at her.

“I guess this when we see you guys were right that we were supposed to have one more,” I confessed.

“Did Brad just say we were right?” Andy asked.

“Yeah, yeah, don’t get used to it. But I look at that face, and I know that you guys were right all along.”

“And for that, I think we all say ‘thank you,’” Claire added as she leaned against me, and looked down at our girl, “Thank you.”

**Author's Note:**

> Please comment and let me know what you think!


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